4-17-2025 11:19pm

Shrek - the Musical Comes to Carlisle High School

Beth Callahan Editor

Story and photos courtesy of Geraldine Baker

CARLISLE, OH -- Carlisle High School Theater is preparing for a hilarious fairy tale in which curses are reversed, monsters get the girls, a donkey and dragons find love and princesses are beautiful in all shapes and sizes. A group of homeless fairy tale creatures (Pinocchio, the Gingerbread Man, The Three Little Pigs and many more) are evicted from their homes and end up in Shrek’s swamp, seeking help and shelter from the cruel Lord Farquaad. Shrek is not happy with his new visitors and makes a deal with the evil Lord Farquaad; if he rescues Princess Fiona from a fire breathing dragon and brings her to him, Lord Farquaad will marry her and become “King” then he will return the Fairy Tale creatures to their homes.

Along Shrek’s journey, he meets a “talking donkey” who requests to stay with Shrek because he has no friends. The donkey is a non-stop talking, singing, humming happy donkey, who tries to help Shrek with his anger issues. Come out for a fun night of singing, dancing and love being found in many different characters’ lives!

Shrek - the Musical @ Carlisle High School

April 25th, 2025 @ 7:00 p.m.
April 26th, 2025 @ 7:00 p.m.
April 27th, 2025 @ 2.00 p.m.

Ther link to purchase tickets is CHSTheatreArts.org/tickets

Meet Some of the Cast

Shrek- Austyn Benton

Austyn, a junior at Carlisle High School, has been in many shows at Carlisle- Sister Act as a policeman/hobo construction worker; Pride & Prejudice as Mr. Benton, the family father; Mamma Mia as the Pope; CLUE as Colonel Mustard; Footloose as a Policeman; Les Miserable as Javert; The Outsiders as Darry Cutis, the older brother taking care of his younger siblings.

Favorite Show: Shrek will be his favorite show, because of the storyline and the music.

Why Shrek- Austyn knew when he heard Shrek was going to be in the show this season, that he wanted to be Shrek.

Future Plans: Austyn plans on going to Ohio University for computer engineering to learn to build computers. If, he doesn’t play sports at the college level, he will definitely do theater.

Something Funny: Austyn loves canned cranberries; all his friend think they are gross.

Princess Fiona- Presley Goodloe

Presley is a freshmen at Carlisle High School. She has been in Frozen Jr, Beauty and the Beast, Footloose as Ariel, and The Outsiders as a Soc (a rich kid) .

Favorite Show: Footloose has been Presley’s favorite show, because of the music and dancing.

Why Fiona: Shrek is one of Presley’s favorite musicals, and this show was the reason she wanted to perform in theater herself. She knew that she wanted to try out for Fiona.

Future Plans: Presley would like to continue to do community theater and wants to start helping with the Junior Shows here at Carlisle. She wants to mentor and encourage the younger kids to do theater.

Lord Farquaad- Matthew Harrison

Matthew is a senior at Carlisle High School and has performed in many shows. He performed in High School Musical Jr., which was the first junior show at Carlisle; Newsies; White Christmas as the Caretaker of the Inn; Sister Act, as a undercover policeman; Pride Prejudice; Mamma Mia; CLUE- professor Plum; Les Miserable as Combefeer; and The Outsiders as Bob Sheldon, the main bad guy-Soc Rich Kid.

Why Lord Farquaad: Matthew knew he wanted to be Lord Farquaad, because he is evil pompous king “want to be” and he felt it would really be fun to play him.

Future Plans: Attend Shawnee State, playing golf and majoring in Video Game development. Matthew may look into the theater department after his freshman year.

Something Funny: Matthew holds the record in the theater department for death scenes, his had died 4 times over the years.

Donkey- Ashton Pelfrey

Ashton is a junior at Carlisle High School and has been in many shows: Frozen Jr as Oaken who runs Wandering Oaken’s Trading Post and Sauna; Sister Act; Pride Prejudice; Mama Mia as Sky; CLUE as a masked killer; Les Miserable as Feuilly – a optimist who stands for the under privileged; and The Outsiders as Soda Pop Curtis, protective older brother, more laid back than Darry.

Favorite Show: Will be Shrek, Ashton said he has grown up watching Shrek, and it is nostalgic and always makes him happy when he watches it.

Why Donkey: Ashton immediately thought "I want to be Donkey." Ashton said that he feels that he and Donkey have similar characteristics as in:

high energy,
upbeat,
TALKS A LOT... he likes to talk
Problem Solver and
Ashton wants to help people and Donkey wants to help Shrek and Fiona.

Future Plans: Ashton hopes to play football in college and may try theater at that level.

Something Funny: Ashton buys 3 cookies at lunch every day.

Young Fiona- Larkin Warmoth

Larkin is a 2nd grade at Carlisle Elementary School. Shrek will be Larkins 2nd theater performance here at Carlisle. She was young Eponine.

Why Young Fiona: When Larkin heard Shrek was going to be a show, she knew she would love to the young Fiona.

Larkin plans on doing theater all during her years as a student here at Carlisle.

Teen Fiona- Maggie Hoban

Maggie is a 6th Grader at Carlisle Intermediate School. Shrek will be Maggie’s 3rd performance at Carlisle. She has played Danny in Footloose, and Gramma in The Adams Family. Her performance as Gramma was a crowd favorite by all who attended.

Why Teen Fiona: Maggie grew up watching Shrek and loved the music and storyline.

Maggie plans on performing in many more shows here at Carlisle.